Posted on 07/06/2009 9:29:19 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
There are two aspects of Governor Palin's decision to resign now, which have not been competently discussed, or discussed at all, in the main stream media. One is based on the map, the other is based in American political history.
Regarding the map: I have two, immediate sources to know how long it takes, with what sort of wearing down from the journey itself, to travel to and from Alaska. One is my cousin who is a leading labor lawyer, and who went from Atlanta to Alaska frequently when the Aleska Pipeline was under construction.
The other is my son-in-law's brother who was until recently the Agent In Charge for the FBI in Alaska. His trips home were often to North Carolina. The bottom line is this. In going to Alaska, or coming from that state to the "lower 48" for any purpose, two days are lost in travel for each trip, and there is recovery time to be sharp and on your toes in addition.
Throw in the fact that at least two of the phony, and dismissed, ethics charges made against Governor Palin were based on the fact that she was "out of the state" in order to appear or speak at events in the lower 48. It is well known that Governors and Senators who habitually run for President are often absent from their states and their constituents (unless they come from Iowa or New Hampshire to begin with).
The travel restraints are far worse for Alaskans and Hawaiians than residents of any other states. The result is that no one can function in a full time government position in Alaska or Hawaii, while playing a significant, permanent role in politics in the rest of the nation.
The political history aspect refers to Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Both built their national base which gave them their respective party nominations for President by traveling the US for years on the rubber chicken circuit. They supported and raised money for hundreds of state and local candidates. They had good results doing that, much better than similar efforts by Bill Clinton, to choose a name not entirely at random.
Bottom line: I think Sarah Palin is planning a similar, grassroots effort to those of Nixon and Humprey. I think she knows that she needs to show immediate results in the 2010 elections for the House and Senate, with candidates she supports usually winning. She has to start now, rather than just wait to run for President or Vice President in 2012.
I think she recognized that it was impossible for her to be a Governor, a mother and a wife, and an active speaker in the lower 48, all at once. So, she left the least important of those three tasks in the hands of her selected Lt. Governor.
The proof of what I posit will come on 12 September, 2009, if Palin is the most important speaker at the Rally on the Mall in Washington. My analysis is correct, if she begins her speech then and there with words like these: "My fellow Americans, I come before you today not as a Republican, not as a Democrat, but as an American who is deeply, deeply concerned about the wrong directions this nation is taking because of failures by politicians in both of those ancient political parties...."
Congressman Billybob
I get to CA every now and then....
Relatives in the bay area...actually lived there for a year.
I’ve visited the valley, LA, Disneyland, San Diego, Stayed for a week on a beach near Oceanside. Seen Yosemite and the the Redwoods, driven down 1, walked many beaches, love the crab at the warfs and trolley rides in the City by the Bay, had a couple o drinks in Jack London’s bar......
I’ll be back....but only to visit.
That we have, haven't we.....GREAT memories... ;)
I live near the downtown area of San Diego and near the Harbor and Bay.
Palin has already proven she will not break Reagan’s 11th Commandment of speaking ill will of other Republicans.
However, those very same Republicans are quite fearful that Palin is about impress her ideals on a wayward GOP with powerful grassroots support which they will not be able to deny.
The Democrats are fearful of a true Conservative living up to those ideals in open, honest fashion.
That is something Democrats simply can not compete with.
Saddle up boys & girls, Sarah is the new Sheriff in town & she’s callin’ up the posse.
Palin ‘12 or Whenever
tahDeetz
If the people of Alaska believe that the governorship of their state should be more important to Sarah Palin then the entire US and her family, which I doubt, they have a very inflated self image.
My mouth is watering thinking of a seafood salad I had at a restaurant next to the harbor. We were so disappointed that the Reagan was not in port that day.
The trolly card was a wonderful easy way through town and we enjoyed several stops.
Went over the bridge, and walked the grounds of the hotel, hand a great sundae at the ice cream shop.....
Awe the memories. SanDiego was a great visit for a country girl.
If only we could collect a tax on pundit opinions which turn out to be entirely wrong, we pay for at least one of the ‘stimulus’ bills that the Socialist Majority has passed this year.
Of course, if we could pass a law that you had to actually KNOW something before you SAID something as a requirement to be considered protected under the First Amendment Clause protecting ‘freedom of the press’, that would be even better. It would cause NYC to sounds like a ghost town because there would be no more speculation spouting from the mouths of idiots who have absolutely no facts to report even while they recite the grave consequences of the outcome of their predictions (which, again, they have no facts to support).
How is it that Palin already has deals in the works with 1. NBC (or MSNBC) 2. ABC 3. Fox??? Wouldn’t one of those three networks at least be able to confirm a story coming out of their own executive offices? NOPE? Well, then we can just chalk it up to ‘this is being widely mentioned’ and call that reporting. Or how about her 8 figure speaking tour? Any evidence there? NOPE? We can just assume that is what she would do because that is what any reporter would do if they had the popularity and public demand that Palin has (or the looks).
And before anybody else mentions the words ‘Palin’ and ‘2012’ in the same sentence, please just shut up. You might want to actually ASK Palin if she wanted to run for the WH before assuming that she would just because ‘that is what a typical politician would do’. Palin isn’t a politician - she is a person who happened to work in politics for a short period of her life. She may work in politics again. But she will be letting others know when and if that happens.
It's a cinch she ain't gonna stay at home and knit.
“Bottom line: I think Sarah Palin is planning a similar, grassroots effort to those of Nixon...”
Nixon left shop in California after losing the Governor’s race to work for a law firm in NYC so as to be closer to the action as well.
Small town business (auto dealerships, small businesses) are being forced into bankruptcy for no good business reason.
Banks are being threatened unless they toe the company line (politically, not business).
Green (the new Red) is attacking capitalism and wealth creation across the country, it seems, in order to defang the Right in the next political battle in 2010 and 2012.
Fraud and graft are only investigated on the Right.
So now that the Chicago mob is effectively ruling the country, how do we legally fight these moves? With Palin as the Outsider (Mrs. Smith Comes to Washington), maybe we can.
From a PR side, who other than Palin can be the Outsider looking to clean up the one horse town called DC?
Having said all that, we have been to AK prior to Palin being elected and after she appeared on the Alaska magazine cover the first time after being elected. Everyone we spoke to just loved her. They loved her gustiness and frankness and cut-to-the-chase kind of attitude. She was what Alaska had needed for a long time being the oil rich state they are. Someone needed to get in there and allow the people to benefit from what the politicians had been benefiting from for years! I still say the more the media tries to throw her over the better I like her because that means they are afraid of her and if they are afraid of her she is ok in my book! I have yet to see the MSM be afraid of any wacko dictator that could toss a nuke our way at any minute. They only dislike true pro-life individuals and she is that!
How would Alaska compare with Europe?
Fight fire with fire.
The article itself, rather than any responses, is a WINNER!
Cheers!
(Vanity) Palin and Sotomayor, with a side of Reagan
Cheers!
"The Lone Star State is but tiny star in the vast constellation that is Mother Russia, HA HA HA HA!!"
The leftist establishment is obviously still scared to death of her. Anyone who speaks as honestly as Palin does and knows how to sincerely engage the real people is a nightmare for them.
Well, they thought they had killed Jesus too. Until He showed up alive again, very inconveniently for His enemies, on Day 3. I’d not be too concerned with how clear her words were then, but rather with how clear her deeds are now.
I think I’ve had enough of the comparisons of political figures to our Lord and Savior. I don’t need any more from our side.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.